Illusions in Paradise
by The-Seer-of-Gallifrey
Summary: A man must seek the help of a friend who believed he was gone. But when she turns her back on him, she disappears into the deep subterranean catacombs of the Paradise. Based on "Phantom of the Paradise" by Brian de Palma. Ideas are not fully mine. Oneshot


_**The Phantom of the Paradise**_

_I was inspired by artwork for this story, in which I shall call "Darkness Entwines". A story that is about Winslow given this strange magic but is shunned by the others who say the story of him is fake. He claims to have met Phoenix and he fell in love with her, never confessing his power of magic to her. Keeping a secret was the only thing he did until the time was right._

_"Darkness Entwines in Paradise" is the working title for this "phantasy" fanfiction, so if you ever come across the title "Darkness Entwines in Paradise", you are seeing the working title. This is also a oneshot._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own the picture I was inspired by to make this, and I do not own "Phantom of the Paradise". But I do own some of these ideas. Think of this as a different version of the Brian de Palma movie, "Phantom of the Paradise"._

_I now present to you..."Darkness Entwines in Paradise"!!_

_---_

_**Darkness Entwines in Paradise**_

_It wasn't a good day at all, when _he_ became a disfigured composer that afternoon to nightfall. He turns a corner a sees three people at the front of a building, placing a sign on a column that read "The Paradise". After walking the street unseen and going around a corner to meet up with two bikers soliciting the area around a gate, they escape the sight of the man approaching at turn to flee through the gate. He walks slowly into the alleyway and meets a staircase, leading upward to the main backstage corridor of the Paradise. He descends the stairs to walk back up to see women lined up in a row. He wandered twoard a bulletin board and reads it quickly while a female from the line comes in and reads it for herself without noticing the disfigured man behind her. He continues to walk back up the next starcase and sees two doors, side by side, both named "Wardrobe" or "Wardrobe Storage". He wanders into the storage room and turns the light on slowly. His footsteps reach a costume hanger that hold several different sets of clothing. He sees a black ensemble and steals it from the rack. He was searching elsewhere for something sinister until he came across a crow's head-shaped mask. He immediatly places it on his head and turns back, racing from the room at a high speed._

Placing a silver and black cloak the back of his dark ensemble, he watches rehearsals to the "_Faust"_ he created. He turns away quickly and dissapears into the darkness of the hallway. He gets caught from behind as a security guard grabs his hand. If he was supposed to be hidden, why was he not? He snatched his hand and soon ran away from the security guard.

After escaping the dark corridor, he reaches the dark catacombs of the Paradise to see a room at the edges of human sight, glowing a bright purple was this room. He approached it cautiously and reached the door close enough to open it. As he ventured further down below the Paradise, he reached a chamber that held signs of blood and chains, but what most appealed to him was the glowing purple orb before him. He searched around to see that none were watching. He glanced back at the orb and started to see that the space around _him_ was crawling with the sounds of birds caw. He dared to touch the area around the glowing sphere...but as soon as he felt a dark sensation crawl up his veins, he threw his hands back in defense only to think it was an insect trying to bite him.

He threw his body to the ground, making the old cinderblock crack. He twisted on the ground furiously, only to see the purple glow fade. He then escaped the room at, once more, the furious speed. Something was different about him. Not only was it the deformation he gained earlier, the body felt different as well. He seemed to catch the eye of many women practicing the rehearsals. He placed his hands on the swan shaped cardboard sign below, and a purple glow formed in his hands. He did not see that he attacked one of the girls below with a zap of energy that was shaped like a raven flying to its prey. It wasn't large, but it hurt her badly as she sat on the car some of the staff were rolling across the stage to the right. He escapes once more from the area of the auditorium.

He reaches someone he never wanted to see again, as he walked into a room shunned by a mirror.

As he was walking out of the room moments later and meets up with the man in black. He immediatly sees him (the man in black) lunging at him (the man with glasses), and speaks calmly as he threatened the man with glasses with a curved, crescent shaped dagger (I know it wasn't crescent in the movie). Placing it up to the neck of him, he still speaks to him quietly and calmly, "Oh, why Winslow. It's so good to see you, when I've been looking for you _everywhere._ Killing me is not going to help you."

Winslow has the front portion of the mask torn from its initial place. Screeching, being terrified by the shorter man's movement, he scurries to the closer wall and turns away quickly. "Winslow, I know what you're trying to do. You've started destroying my Paradise...haven't we had enough? You've even killed my dancers with a strange raven. What has gotten into you...and _onto_ you?" Winslow searches his body frantically in search of what the man was talking of. He began to cackle in protest, _There is nothing on me, Swan._ But all that came out was a simple cackle. It was deemed that Swan had the idea he knew was right from the beginning. Not only his mask was different about him (Because he had it on his head? Ching, ching!), there were several different parts of Winslow's form undergoing a purple glow. In which he searched down his own body and accidentally shot a purple ray of energy right to Swan's shoes. "I see you've found the chamber."

_How does he know? I was only down there for a few moments and he--he wasn't there! Why not? I never saw him._

"You need to speak, Winslow, or have you lost your voice? I can help. Come back tomorrow, Winslow, and shall give you something I will never need back." But soon after that, Winslow escaped from the lightened corridor and faded soon into darkness. "_Trust me..._"

_Swan wants to take my music again, he was trying to lie to me. I cannot go back to the Paradise, I can only prevent him from stealing my music again._ He fleed outside to only meet a few girls walking to the backstage staircase. They were all flirting with each other on how _awesome_ they were at dancing...one of them caught Winslow's eye. _It's the girl! The girl--the girl I met at the auditions; she'll understand!_

When two of the girls noticed something lurking in the background, the screamed and ran upward to the door. One of the girls wasn't afraid. She took the risk and saw the man lurking in the dark alleyway. "Hey, don't be shy." She approached the lurking man and tried touching him. As Winslow cowered in fear, the girl sought light and brought him there.

Approaching the street (without looking at the man), she placed her hand on one shoulder and glanced toward the man. She noticed the mask and was a bit afraid by the appearence of him. She trembled slightly but still took the risk of talking to him with the confidence she had left. "My name is Phoenix, what is your name?"

He cackles to answer that his name is _Winslow_, but she hardly understands him. "Can't talk? I think I can help you. Stay in the dark for a bit, I'll be right back." Phoenix runs off to the backstage door and returns after fifteen minutes. She searches around the darkness of the street as she left Winslow, but finding him in the fetal position against the wall was a very sad thing to see. "I hope you don't mind this--I stole it from someone...I hope he doesn't mind. Put it on."

Taking it was vast amounts of hesitation, he sees Phoenix does not want to hurt him. Winslow places his hand on the black box Phoenix handed to him and presses on three various switches. "Try testing it out, I'll ask you a question first. What's your name?"

Winslow hesitated to speak, but he spoke nonetheless, "_My name...is Winslow_."

"Alright, I think that voice is best for you now, Winslow. I won't have to constantly hear you only able to spit in someone's face to see you're talking."

_I am so ashamed. My music is mutilated and so is my face. I wish this day would be over._

"You know," she started again, "I used to have a friend name Winslow, but he's dead now."

_"I'm Winslow!"_ but she didn't listen to him, "_Please acknowledge me, Phoenix, I am Winslow Leach!"_ Phoenix was not listening to him, but he didn't want to have Phoenix know about the accidental energy transfer until she_ would understand_.

"I was going to sing for something, but I have a better idea. We can go to my home in Queens. It's a quiet city up north of here, you can come if you want."

"_Anything is possibly better than here."_ Hearing Phoenix laugh was great to see that she was high spirits right now. Taking his hand, she calls a taxi to take her and Winslow to the closer subway to ride to Queens. It was the dead of night and they saw the subway was normally open to visitors.

It was about ten o' clock now and it was as dark as the space that surrounded the Earth (now THAT is dark). Phoenix and Winslow were at one side of the subway, awaiting the next metro to arrive. There were few other people around the subway, but they were all talking to one another. Phoenix took Winslow's hand, regarding that only she'd not think it was Winslow anyway. She had a feeling that something was different besides the mask, but she couldn't feel it at all though. She knew only to herself that she was walking with a _total stranger_, but he looked as though he needed help like something had happened to him. _Something had_, but she didn't know about it.

When the metro arrived with a large screech, Phoenix literally hopped on and Winslow _slid_ on (meaning he dragged his feet on).

After arriving in Queens after about an hour, Phoenix and Winslow reached yet another taxi. But before long, Winslow disappeared somewhere and Phoenix wondered why so. It was over eleven at night now, and she didn't know where Winslow was at all. Of course it was like him to disappear like that, but none knew where at all.

She knew of one place to start looking, and that was inside one of the trashy alleyways. She had a feeling he was there, but no. It was a while before she stopped searching around the city for him and one and a half hours passed through time until a cloaked man came up behind her. Frightening her half to death, the man was only Winslow.

"Thank the Lord, I found you! Where were you and what happened to your mask? Did you buy a new one?" Phoenix was feeling the newly made indentations of Winslow's bird shaped mask. The only part that shown out of the cloak was a part of the mask and half of the front of face. Everything else on his form was under a black veil which sealed him in a surrounding darkness. With no trace of the energy with had imbued into him that dark night, he played at nothing to stop Phoenix from asking why he was sealed up like that. His wrists slowly appeared with black gloves and silver plates (not the buckles). These plates held markings on them shaped with curves, crescent shaped curves. Everything he wore was changed in some way...even his face was with markings on it, the same crescent shapes on the plates.

Without speaking a single word, Winslow was silent the entire way to Phoenix' small house on a lake. All he did was hold his hands inside the sleeves of the cloak and walk silently with her to the destination. Phoenix was willing to get Winslow to speak, but it happened that he muttered a simple word..._music_. He must want his music, she would think, no one could ever be so sure.

_He's starting to be obsessed with something, I can feel it._ It was slowly enough that she had begun to realize what Winslow was up to something...she didn't like it a bit. When they stepped inside the house by the lake she urged Winslow to take off the cloak, but when he began taking it off, there were strange markings on his clothing and arms. He immediatly scurried into another direction from Phoenix. She advanced with utmost care and the risk. "What are these markings for?" But backing away slowly was Winslow doing the only thing he could do.

Phoenix felt him once more but he crouched in fear against a dark corner. "I told you I won't harm you, Winslow."

She approached cautiously but led him to the basement door, in which he opened it and tripped inside. A purple glow began to eminate and caw like a crow. A raven materialized above Winslow, but then disappeared. Phoenix was not watching him as he created the energy of the raven. But wondering what went on, she ran down the staircase and reached him in time before scurrying once more into the shadows of the underground.

Unable to control this mysterious energy much more, he had to keep it secret from Phoenix until the time was right. That was a while before she would know fully. But as time progressed, she had the greater feeling that this Winslow was hiding something with great forces sealing it away.

As long as she kept unsure, Winslow was very silent at the times she mentioned there was something going on. She even said it wasn't likable to her, but she kept _why_ hidden.

It was long before Phoenix was asleep in her room but Winslow was normally lurking through the night and often disappearing from the house as well. This was until after a week that he had discovered the glowing orb of purple energy. What exactly was the purpose of having the chamber anyway? And why were there human skeletons down there? Swan was up to something and Winslow didn't it a bit. He had something up his sleeve that he was about to create Winslow's _false_, the Winslow whom had never had that deformity. Which would Phoenix believe? A false Winslow who looked like Winslow would most likely be her choice, but to those who do believe Winslow is dead do not believe that he was _accidentally_ imbued with the power of _Illusionary magic._

It was at three every morning for the next week that Winslow would return to Phoenix, and she soon realized that he was leaving for somewhere and coming back later.

_"You do not understand, Phoenix, you must remember who I am! I AM Winslow Leach, I can no longer hide my disguise from you--I never had."_

"No, you don't understand, Winslow, I had a friend with your name and you stole the name. Why can't you get your own name?"

"_No, nothing is right to me without you, Phoenix. I remember I sang with you the _'_Faust_'_ I created_."

"You weren't there, how would you know? You have no life, and you look into others to steal them! Winslow, I already saw through your thick skull that you're hiding something from me. Now what is it?"

Winslow nodded slowly and backed away, but Phoenix approached and took hold of Winslow and placed him against a wall. Threatening him, he silently pulls a crescent blade from behind (his dagger reshaped into a long blade). Unexpectedly, Phoenix immediatly took Winslow from her grasp and he disappeared long after. All that was left was a long trail of black leather shreds.

He had never returned to her home, but instead he ended up back at the Paradise. He and Swan met up again, but the devilish man made him sign a bloodbound contract and was _forever_ in his debt. No matter what the case he had stayed far below the Paradise, deep within the catacombs in which he found the orb. He even set up a two-way mirror in Phoenix' dressing room and only appeared during the time she was in there.

It was after rehearsals that she would occasionally hear the voice her _late_ friend. She had prayed to her friend and he appeared as Winslow Leach. He did not appear as the phantom, but soon after she was drawn to the mirror with vast amounts of awe, she was smirking as she was drawn to the mirror...but as she reached it, the image turned to the phantom and the mirror was open. She was in awe for several moments in time until she came to realize that she was with _the Phantom of the Paradise_.

The song that was sung was so ethereal that someone long ago had composed it. The name of the song was "Phantom of the Paradise".

_**The Phantom of the Paradise:**_

_(Instrumental Duet beginning)_

_Phoenix:_

_In sleep he sang to me_

_In dreams he came_

_That voice which calls to me_

_And speaks my name..._

_And do I dream again?_

_For now I find_

_The Phantom of the Paradise is here_

_Inside my mind..._

_Winslow: (Vocal: Mechanical)_

_Sing once again with me_

_Our strange duet_

_My power over you_

_Grows stronger yet..._

_And though you turn from me_

_To glance behind_

_The Phantom of the Paradise is there_

_Inside your mind..._

_(Both Phoenix and Winslow reach the bottom of a staircase and move along through the darkness)_

_Phoenix:_

_Those who've seen your face_

_Draw back in fear..._

_I am the mask you wear--_

_It's you they hear..._

_Together:_

_Your spirit and my voice_

_In one combined..._

_The Phantom of the Paradise is here/there_

_Inside my/your mind_

_(An organ is heard vaguely in the darkness, the caws of crows and ravens are also heard in the distance of the catacombs. Winslow puts his hands to his shoulders, facing Phoenix in the darkness and a purple glow eminates from behind. Birds appear in the energy shaped like crows and ravens.)_

_Chorus (birds caw and organs roar combined):_

_He is the Phantom of the Paradise_

_Beware the Phantom of the Paradise..._

_Winslow: _

_In all your fantasies..._

_You've always known_

_That man and mystery..._

_Phoenix:_

_Were both unknown..._

_Together:_

_And in this labyrinth_

_Where night is blind_

_The Phantom of the Paradise is here/there_

_Inside my/your mind._

_Winslow: (Not in song)_

_Sing once more with me_

_From our strange duet_

_My power over you..._

_Grows ever stronger yet..._

_Sing once more with me, Phoenix_

_Sing!_

_Phoenix: (In song)_

_He's there_

_The Phantom of the Paradise!_

_(Being drawn into the music, Phoenix hits high notes without singing words to it. With sings at the final for the reprise of the ending words.)_

_Winslow: (Not in song)_

_Sing only for me!!_

_(Phoenix hits the last note high pitched and the song ends.)_

"You sang like Winslow. Yet you can't be him...I saw his image in the mirror; where is he?" Winslow drew Phoenix next to the organ and he sat upon the stool of the desk. "You are Winslow...aren't you?"

He smirks, kissing Phoenix' closer cheek and screeching out of joy, "_Thank you for answering correctly, my Phoenix!!"_

"My Lord, it IS you. But what's happened to you? The energy...where did it come from?"

Slowly but surely, Phoenix begins to understand that Winslow was imbued with the energy and soon became a power crazed freak of lunatic nature out of the way of his own will. He is still unable to control the energy but has a power to help him lessen the ability to let it creep out like that.

"I'd like to stay here with you, but I can't keep staying with you. The others wonder where I am and Swan will have a fit if I'm not up there. I'm sorry, Winslow."

"_Phoenix!_" But she was already gone at the sound of _Winslow_ (the name in which she said it). Winslow put his hand back to his side and sighed deeply. Breathing heavily, he turns and plays at the organ a dark tune.

After about three days, Phoenix returns to her dressing room and calls for the phantom. Not appearing to see her, she wanders to the two-way mirror and opens it slightly, only to notice a purple wall forcing her to keep away from reaching any farther to the catacombs. The door in the dressing room was locked so no one could come in to see her. She was awaiting Winslow to appear for three days and she can't see him. For awhile the door was locked, and not even Swan can get through.

She awaited hours to see him appear at the mirror. As knock eminated from the door, Phoenix opens it slightly and sees Swan carrying roses. "Phoenix." he started, "Your door is locked and I wished to give you these..." He quickly glances at the roses, then quickly to the mirror behind her. "Roses."

"That's sweet, Swan. Thank you." She takes the roses and escapes into the room--leaving only a cliffhanger for Swan to realize _she_ was hiding something from him. He shrugs it and escapes into the darkness of the corridor in which he came.

Back inside the room, Phoenix opens the mirror once more to see the wall still there. "Winslow, where are you?" she whispers to herself in vain as though a tear was to drop from her eyes. _And they did._ She began to pray to Winslow to see that he was alright...but he still never appeared. She knocks on the mirror and nothing happens to it. "Winslow!!" Phoenix no longer took it that he was gone, but he was believed to be dead anyway. Not to Phoenix any longer. "Please come out."

She cried in vain once more just when a chill descended into her room. Darkness pervaded and the room the curiousity of her thoughts. Phoenix gazed at the mirror as a bright light appeared. The mirror opened and the wall of energy was gone from the opening. She went through the doorway and heard the sound of a mechanical vocal sing her through the light. She met the hooded Winslow at the end of the long staircase. She placed her hand into the phantom's and they walked along together to the deep lair inside the catacombs.

He brought her to his lair soon enough and they sat at the organ. The energy moved to his hands the ravens beaks began to circle his arms and play the tunes while he controlled them like a marionette to his puppets. "You've learned to control the energy? That's amazing!" Phoenix' voice echoed throughout the cavern and alarmed Winslow.

_"Not so loud, Phoenix, you'll awaken the darkness and I will be seen down here. I never allow anyone here but you. Do not alarm me like that."_

"Sorry, I was just so excited to see you."

_"It doesn't matter, Phoenix, all I want is you. You're my only love and you sparked a fire in me when we first met. That is all that matters between us. I'm joyous of your presence here."_ A faint smirk appeared on his face--the sound of footsteps were heard as Phoenix was walking towards the subterranean river beneath the Paradise. Winslow then followed and stood by her. A glow materialized behind them in a shape of a heart and Winslow felt the heart behind them. _"Stop that."_ he bellowed to the crows, them in a result of flying off.

Dryly said, Phoenix caught the attention of Winslow and held his hand. He blushed out of joy and she laid against him, both of them held each others hands without even realizing. Before anything else happened she noted the holding of hands and immediatly separated herself. Winslow took notice and held her shoulders with his warm gloved hands. "This river is beautiful, isn't it?"

"_Indeed it is, Phoenix."_ Winslow rested his head on hers and embraced her small form gently. _"It is..."_

Phoenix turns to meet him, his blushing made her joyous. "Those great colors of the river--"

"_Are ethereal. So peaceful, it is. Phoenix,"_ Winslow turns and holds Phoenix' hands, "_I want to love you forever, but the only thing keeping me from doing that is Swan. I want you disappear with me down here forever."_ Winslow begins to feel tears rolling to his cherry red cheeks, burying his face in Phoenix' furry jacket. He embraced her tightly and cried out to her, the voice eluded by the jacket. But she thought he said, _"Phoenix, stay with me."_

She picked up the hood of the phantom and gazed into his eyes, her carefulness was something she risked working for to help Winslow. Kneeling down to him, she whispers, "How can I? I have singing to do and if I just disappear down here, how could I sing? Only you would hear me. I want the people to hear me sing...for Swan to hear me sing. Winslow, I know of the energy that seals you and you don't want to be alone down here. But I promise I'll visit, Winslow."

_"But, Phoenix--"_

"I can't change my mind; I really want to sing for _everyone_. Not just you. As much as I love you, Winslow, I have to let you go sometime." He threw his body to the ground in frustration while breaking chunks of the old cinderblock. He curled into the fetal position once more with the cloak on the ground, like a hammer to an iron anvil. "I love you, Winslow, and nothing is turning around for that. I want you to be happy without me until I can think of a reasonable way to be with you. I want to be with you forever too, but I have my life above the ground and you have yours below. Can you reason with that, Winslow?"

His voice is indefinitely warbled and distorted due to the excessant whimpering. "_Phoenix. I love you more than anything, I don't want to lose you again."_

Phoenix leaves Winslow slowly and soon runs into the distance, "I told you I'll be back! I promise!"

Purple energy materializes behind him it has the shape of a broken heart, "_Stop that. I know you like making my emotions, but I don't like it. I just want Phoenix to acknowlege me and stay with me."_

_You know that old saying, 'If you love something, you must let it go'. We know Phoenix loves you, and you do too. So just suck it up and take it in that she promised __you__. Get it, Mr. Wizard Phantom? Good._

_"You are no help." _Winslow sat on the ground, cross-legged, at the organ. He wanted Phoenix to stay with him, but there was no evidence she would at all. She said she would come back...but maybe she was only saying that to make him feel better. The energy seethed back into his body, he laying still to the rocky cavern ceiling. His arms across his chest. _"Phoenix will acknowlege me and answer my pleas. She will stay with me, but what power do I have? What is it?"_

A rage began inside of him, "_PHOENIX!!"_


End file.
